The expression “cosmetic product” is understood to mean any composition as defined in Council Directive 93/35/EEC of 14 Jun. 1993.
Application EP 1 955 610 discloses an applicator end piece which is composed exclusively of a composition for making up the eyelashes, is molded and can be mounted by being push-fitted onto a heating support in the form of a finger. However, such an end piece composed of cosmetic product mounted directly on the heating support soils this support, which has to be cleaned following each use. In addition, in order to be able to be push-fitted onto the support, the product necessarily has to extend around the entire perimeter of the applicator end piece. In addition, handling end pieces composed only of a makeup composition can lead to soiling of the user's fingers. Application US 2007/0286831 discloses a mascara applicator comprising a heating member surmounted by a comb, in which the product is present in the form of bars or beads deposited on the heating member while the latter is in a housing. Feeding means comprising a piston, a cylinder or an endless screw are provided to move the product onto the heating member. The product is not directly supplied with the comb but requires a complex distributor having numerous mechanical parts, and this can hamper reliability and/or lead to the product becoming loaded with undesirable particles.
PCT Application WO 2006/043544 discloses a device for applying a cosmetic product, comprising a removable unit mounted on a receiving region of a base that faces a heating member and receives the product in the form a block to be placed on the unit by the user and then to be melted by virtue of the heating member. However, the product is not directly supplied in a manner integrated with the unit, and the handling of the blocks can therefore lead to soiling of the user's fingers.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,632 discloses a device for applying a cosmetic product, comprising a support on which there is fixed a block of cosmetic product. However, the product is molded by being poured onto the support, this manufacturing method being well known in the field of cosmetics and requiring the separate production of the support in order subsequently to mold the product onto said support by pouring, this resulting in a complex manufacturing process with poor output.
Application U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,712 also discloses a method for manufacturing a solid cosmetic product that is obtained mainly from a powder and an oil and is injection-molded for example onto a container such as a dish. However, in this method, it is necessary to place the dishes in the mold beforehand, and this results in an increase in the manufacturing time and a risk of the dishes being poorly positioned, which can hamper the reliability of the manufacturing process.
There is a need to make possible simple manufacturing of a device for applying cosmetic product to human keratin materials, allowing the cosmetic product to be applied in a manner which is relatively simple, relatively reliable, hygienic and practical to use.